


The First Bad Thing Rose Tyler Had Ever Done

by memyselfandwe



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Fighting, Fighting over a girl, Jealousy, Multi, Musicians, Punk, Punk Rock, night club
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-11
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2018-11-12 16:57:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11166117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/memyselfandwe/pseuds/memyselfandwe
Summary: Rose Tyler isn't a bad girl, but she loves a bad boy. She sneaks out one night to watch Jimmy Stone play at a club with his band, but her night doesn't go as planned, it's better.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Areyoutryingtodeduceme](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Areyoutryingtodeduceme).
  * Inspired by [Punk Doctors](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/298485) by Areyoutryingtodeduceme. 



> Just a thing to go with some artwork I saw on Pinterest (Nine and Ten only), may not be 100% accurate but I wrote it quickly.  
> John (Ninth Doctor) David (Tenth Doctor)

Rose Tyler was a good girl. She did well in school, minded her manners, and always did what her mum asked. She was funny, intelligent, and beautiful which made her almost perfect. Her only flaw, if it could really be considered a flaw, was her weakness for bad boys. Sure, she never let her dear mum know how Jimmy Stone distracted her from her studies more than once, or how she did his homework for him the week before so he could practice for an upcoming show at the TARDIS.

She almost said no, but he stroked her cheek gently and stared at her with his emerald green eyes while asking nicely. She was also distracted by his dark, spiked, hair that she yearned to touch, just to see if it moved. She counted his piercings, totaling fourteen that she could see and wondered how many he had that she couldn't. Then he invited her to come watch him play if she did him this one, tiny favor. His final plea came out as a whisper and he kissed her cheek, causing her to crumble and give in. It was easy work anyway, especially for someone as smart as she was. Hopefully, he would have other ways of repaying her later.

 

The following weekend was the show and Rose got herself ready while her mum was still at work. She told her that she was going to stay at her friend Shireen's and Shireen said she would cover for her like Rose did for her more than once. They often spent the night at each other's places so there were no questions about it. This was probably the first bad thing Rose Tyler has ever done in her life and she didn't care.

Without the right attire so she had to get creative, digging through her clothing she found her Union Jack shirt. She grabbed a pair of scissors and made a few "adjustments" by removing the sleeves and neckline which, if her mum saw it, would have her grounded until she was thirty. Digging around some more, she found a black, denim skirt from quite a while back but still fit, if not a little snug and a tad short. In case it was too short, she pulled on a pair of yellow spandex leggings which pulled the outfit together perfectly.

She applied her makeup a bit heavier than normal, with dark eyeliner and red lipstick, accented with colorful blush and eyeshadow. All that was left was her hair and she had no idea what to do with it. She grabbed some hairspray and got to work teasing and tussling it, then pulled a black headband over it to keep it out of her face.

When she was finished, Rose stepped over to her full-length mirror and admired herself. Even she had to admit that she looked hot. The outfit accented her curves, her top showed just a hint of cleavage, and her bum look perfectly round. She made a few turns, to look for anything she might have missed, then she hurried out before her mum caught sight of her.

* * *

 

Backstage, David tuned his guitar and the rest of his bandmates got themselves ready when a shadow came over him. David looked up to see who was blocking the light only to see his former bandmate, John, glaring down at him.

David's eyebrow shot up, "your blocking my light, mate."

"I'm not your mate," John hissed, "and I'm surprised you decided to show up after you abandoned us for this group of losers." He looked up at John's bandmates in the background with discontent, "what kind of stupid name is The Time Lords anyway?"

"No more stupid than The Oncoming Storm," David snorted, "it's not the name of the band, it's the music."

"Music that you stole from us," John growled and stepped closer, his blue eyes piecing David's brown ones.

David put his guitar down and got to his feet, although he wasn't as big as John, he wasn't afraid of him either. "I helped write that music so it's just as much mine as it is yours," he spat back.

John grinned sinisterly, "doesn't matter, we have something new that will make your shitty band look like a bunch of amateurs."

David balled his fists and stepped closer, his chest bumping John' and both men were ready to fight right there when Jimmy's voice broke the tension.

"You two losers don't stand a chance," he pushed past them with two cheap looking females hanging off him as if he were some type of superstar.

"Who the hell are you then," John asked, staring down at the boy who looked like he tried way too hard on his style. His pre-ripped jeans, fake leather jacket, and cheap guitar told both David and John that this kid must have decided he wanted to be a rock star overnight.

"I'm the one who is going to wipe the floor with you two tonight," he said in a cocky tone.

David and John stared at each other in disbelief, as much as they hated each other, they had to set their differences aside if they wanted to teach this prick a lesson.

David stepped forward, he ran his hand across his mohawk then rubbed the back of his neck, "so…what's your name again?"

"I didn't say," he mouthed off, "but, it's Jimmy."

"Right," David began to pace, "I don't know who you are, but it's going to take a lot more than a cheap, knock off, guitar and a few piercings to make either of us think that you are even worthy enough to step onto that stage."

"It doesn't matter what you think," Jimmy snapped, "my music speaks for itself."

John crossed his arms and laughed, "is that supposed to be a threat?"

Jimmy sat down on one of the ratty sofas that they kept backstage, "why, are you scared?"

John laughed, there is no way this scrawny brat was talking to him that way. He stepped forward and David reached across stopping him with his arm across his chest, "don't, just don't."

John looked at David, then groaned and turned away, walking out the back door to cool down and to get some fresh air.

"You know," David stepped closer to Jimmy, "if you make a fool of yourself out there," he eyed the two females sitting on each side of him with disgust, "and I think you will. You may not make it out of here in one piece." He turned back to his guitar and continued getting ready, refusing to waste any more time on this thick headed jerk.

"Jimmy?" A female voice sounded and David looked up to see a stunning blonde, the light behind her making her hair glow like an angel. She wore a shy smile as she approached the obnoxious teen and David drank her in from all angles. He looked back at Jimmy in disbelief, why would he have two women like that hanging all over him when this perfectly gorgeous girl was looking at him like that?

Jimmy sat up and gave her a cocky smile, his arm still around the waist of one of the other girls, "hey…" he pointed as he tried to remember who she was.

"Rose," she answered for him and David's jaw dropped, how could he forget a name as beautiful as the girl it belonged to.

"Rose," he smiled again, "what are you doing here?"

Rose stepped back looking embarrassed, "you invited me, for helping you with your homework."

"That I did," he leaned back and a girl beside him stared at Rose dismissively while she began to rub her hand up Jimmy's thigh. He looked over at the girl touching him and started talking, ignoring Rose completely.

Rose turned and hurried away.

David leaped to his feet, "what the hell, man!"

Jimmy looked at him, "what?"

"You just let her run away while you sit here with these two…fake groupies."

The girl's jaws dropped with insult and Jimmy just laughed, "she's not who you think she is. All that make-up, the clothing, it's a lie. She's a good girl, too good if you get my drift."

"That's a bad thing…" David asked, he still couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Jimmy just shrugged and turned back to his little play things.

* * *

 

Rose fought back tears, just so her makeup wouldn't run, and she rushed out the first door she saw. If she couldn't get back in, so be it, she didn't want to be there anyway. She felt foolish, getting dressed like this and thinking a guy like Jimmy would notice.

She did get noticed though, just not by the right crowd. A group of men approached her, then stared her up and down like lions hunting prey. She started backing away and instantly regretted choosing an alley to escape to.

The men grew closer, surrounding her from all angles when a hand grabbed hers and tugged her away. Without letting go, the man pulled her behind him and confronted the others, "is there a problem?"

Rose never saw his face, she just saw the back of his head, with close cropped hair, and a black leather jacket. Real leather by the smell of it, she was that close to him. His hand held hers firmly but not so much that it hurt. She thought about pulling away but somehow she knew he wasn't going to harm her.

"Is she with you," one of the larger men asked him and took a step closer.

The man didn't back away, if anything, he leaned closer to show them he wasn't intimidated. "We are allowed to bring a guest if we're performing," he pointed behind him, "she's my plus one."

The man grunted, "maybe you should keep a better eye on her then," and backed off. Then the entire group moved back to where they came from.

He turned around to Rose, "you all right?"

"Yeah," Rose stammered and stepped back to take in his appearance. He had deep blue eyes, gauges, piercings, and several tattoos. His leather jacket hung open, revealing his bare chest underneath. "M' fine," she said, still admiring him.

He bent down to get her attention and her honey brown eyes met his, "anyone tell you it's not safe for a lady to be walking around a dark alley at night?"

Rose removed her hand from his and took a step back, "I wasn't thinking, I was just trying to get away from…" she looked at the door she exited from, "this bloke Jimmy I know."

"Ah," John said with a sudden understanding. "Oh, sorry," he reached his hand out, "I'm John by the way."

Rose took his hand gently, "Rose, Rose Tyler."

"Rose Tyler," he repeated and the way her name rolled off his tongue made her shiver. He mistook her shiver for being cold and he eyed her attire appreciatively, maybe too appreciatively. "You want to go back inside, if Jimmy's a problem I'll be sure to keep him away."

Rose hung her head, sadly, "I don't think he'll be looking for me."

"Good, it's just you and me then," John gave her a grin that made her heart flutter then he held his arm out to her, which she took and followed him back inside.

David saw the back door open and Rose enter, followed by John, who's hand she took when he offered it to her, and the two walked out to the front of the club together. "Oh, come on," David yelled and ran a hand down his face in frustration. He put his guitar down and ran off behind them while trying to come up with a plan to get rid of John.

 

"You said you were performing tonight," Rose asked as she sipped the bottle of water John bought for her.

"Yeah," John smiled, "I play bass for The Oncoming Storm. We should be up first, which isn't fair to the other bands who have to follow us."

"You think you're so impressive," Rose laughed.

"I am so impressive," John pouted, "stick around, you'll see."

"Since you saved me out there, I think I can," Rose's tongue poked out between her teeth as she smiled.

John' tongue swiped across his lips in response and forgot why he was there in the first place.

Rose glanced over his shoulder at the stage, "isn't that your band, Mr. Impressive?"

"Huh," John turned around and saw his band on stage, scanning the crowd for him. He looked back at Rose, "looks like I'm up," he started walking backwards, "will you still be here when I'm done?"

Rose smiled bashfully, "I might stick around."

"Fantastic," John said and ran off, leaping onto the stage in a single bound.

The music started playing and Rose had to admit, he was pretty good and the crowed below was going nuts. She chose to stay at the back, where it was safe, and watched John from afar.

Now that John was busy, David swooped in and hopped beside Rose, "hello," then gave her a boyish smile.

Rose was caught off guard by his sudden presence, but then smiled back, "hi." His mohawk, tattoos, and lean, shirtless body, accented by a blue tie got her attention.

"You're new here," he yelled to her over the loud music.

Rose playfully grinned, "how do you know, maybe you just never noticed me before."

David trailed his eyes up and down her body, "oh, I would've noticed you. I'm David, what's your name?"

Rose bit her lip, she was quickly forgetting all about Jimmy now, "Rose Tyler… Are you Scottish?"

"I am," David beamed happily, "Scotland's got the best punk music anywhere, we're way better than these guys," he pointed his head toward the stage.

"So, you play too?"

"Yep," he popped his 'p' and leaned close to her ear, "I'm a man of many talents, Rose Tyler." His hot breath tickled her skin as he spoke.

Rose felt her legs grow weak, how her own name could be such a turn on is beyond her. Jimmy was now completely forgotten and Rose looked back up to the stage where John was playing furiously. He could see her talking to David and Rose wondered if his band got their name by the stare he was giving the boy next to her right now.

"Um," Rose pointed to the stage and David looked up at John who glared back at him. He turned back to Rose who had moved further away, to watch John play, but he just scooted closer.

"I've known John for a long time," David yelled to her, "you shouldn't waste your time on him."

"It definitely doesn't feel like a waste of time," Rose yelled back and the final song came to an end, leaving her ears ringing.

David leapt in front of her, his tie swaying over his bare chest when he did, "it is a waste, just you wait and see." He reached into his back pocket, then popped on a pair of red and blue 3D glasses, making Rose laugh at his sillyness. He gently rubbed her shoulder, her bare skin under his hand pleasantly soft, "I'll come find you after." With that, he turned and ran off.

Rose was now laughing, she had Jimmy on her mind all week and as she got ready she had no idea that this night would turn out so much better than she imagined. Two gorgeous men had their eyes on her and even if Jimmy changed his mind now, there was no way he would stand a chance between them.

She sat up on an empty stool nearby and watched the crowd, noticing that there was nobody here from her school. If Jimmy was as popular as he made himself out to be, why wasn't anyone there to watch him play. Then through the crowd, John' blue eyes locked onto hers as he approached. His smile growing as he got closer and Rose felt her heart racing.

"Well, I must say, I am a little impressed," Rose teased.

"A little?" John' eyebrows drew together, "that's the best show I've ever played."

"Is it," Rose's gaze unintentionally trailing back to his chest which now glistened with sweat, "you must have really put your all into it."

John grinned and took her hand, placing a kiss to the top of it, "well, I may have had something motivating me."

Rose felt her cheeks getting hot and if it weren't for the low light and her makeup, John would have seen the effect he was having on her.

"Of course, if you didn't have scrawny little pretty boys keeping you from enjoying the music…"

John was about to tell Rose that she was too good for immature apes like David but he was cut off by the shriek of a microphone coming to life and David's voice bellowing, "I'd like to dedicate this entire set to Rose," then he pointed right at her.

Rose roared with laughter then covered her face as everyone turned to look at her. She glanced at John beside her, who shook his head in disapproval before crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.

Rose watched David run and leap around the stage, his tie flying behind him and Rose wondered if he ever ran out of energy.

John pushed himself away from the wall, "some dedication," he barked over the music, "this song is called Everybody Dies."

Rose shrugged, "it's true." She watched him stare up at the stage, his arms still crossed in annoyance and found it adorable. For a man like that to show so much jealousy and for her, of all people.

A short time later, Jimmy appeared through the crowd, his two bimbos were nowhere in sight. Rose caught his gaze and quickly looked away, suddenly she didn't want him to notice her.

John saw her get uncomfortable, "we can step out for a bit if you want." He stood directly in front of her so he blocked her view of both Jimmy and David.

"No," Rose said and peeked around him at the stage, to see David watching Jimmy as well. The toes of his red trainers hanging off the edge of the stage while he played. He looked ready to leap off if Jimmy got any closer.

Lucky for her, Jimmy walked right past her, without a second glance and collected his bandmates to get ready.

The song ended with a long, drawn out, yell and David tossed his guitar aside and leapt off the stage into the crowd. Moments later he sprung in front of Rose, "sooo, do you believe me now?"

"Shove off," John barked.

David glanced at John, "I wasn't talking to you, mate."

John took a giant step into David's personal space, "I already told you, I'm not your mate."

"Back off big ears," David snapped, not backing down as John hovered over him.

"Alright, stop!" Rose hollered and shoved between them. She pushed them apart, her hands pressing against the skin on their chests and she appreciated how rock hard they both felt. She kept her hands in place, enjoying herself more than she should at this moment and snapped herself out of her innapropriate thoughts. "I'm rather enjoying myself tonight. I don't need you two ruining it by causing a scene."

John sighed and backed off, then David did the same. Rose sat back on the stool and looked at the men on each side of her, wondering how she was going to handle this situation.

Jimmy was on stage next and John shared a look with David over her head. They were both curious about this new kid who talked a big game and they were eager to hear what her had.

The music started off out of sync and John was trying to figure out if they were even playing the same song together because they were all off tempo. Their drummer tried showing off while he played and kept dropping his drumsticks, which he only had one set of, so he would have to stop each time to pick them up.

Jimmy hopped up and down like a hyper rabbit and he soon ran out of breath, unable to sing at all.

John stared at the stage, mortified at what was playing out before him. He glanced over at David who tried to keep it together then sputtered out a laugh.

This was worse than horrible, David thought, it was embarrassing. He glanced at Rose, to see her reaction to the boy who was stupid enough to snub her and saw her hand in John', their fingers laced together.

David felt anger boiling within him and he lost control. He ran over and shoved John away forcefully, causing him to stumble back several feet. David smiled back at Rose, shooting her a wink.

Rose laughed a little bit, she couldn't help it. Then she saw John' fist strike David across the face, sending him to the floor. John stepped over, looking down at David then back up to Rose. His scowl changed to a smile instantly, "sorry."

Rose didn't know whether to laugh or be upset, that smile of his was contagious. "Oh my god," she cried out, but her smile lit up her face. Everything happened so fast, John' eyes snapped to her lips then back to her eyes. He stepped closer, cupped her cheeks, and kissed her. His lips were so soft, given his rough exterior and he was so gentile about it. Then it was over, he was pulled back by his leather jacket and David tackled him to the ground.

A couple more punches were thrown and the crowd turned to watch the fight which was much more entertaining than what was happening on stage.

The music stopped and Jimmy saw who was responsible, "hey," he yelled into the mic at them, "why don't you two take your slag and get the hell out of here so we can play?"

John and David got to their feet and looked back at the boy on stage who ran his mouth for the last time. They gave each other a single glance and together they stormed the stage. David was agile and springy, so he reached the stage in and instant. He jumped on Jimmy from behind and brought him to his knees in a choke hold. Jimmy rolled and tossed David off, causing him to land on his back. Jimmy approached him quickly and when he got closer, David kicked him in the ribs and he fell to the floor.

"Enough playing around," John yelled as he jumped up on the stage and grabbed a fistful of Jimmy's hair, lifting him up. With a single punch to the face, Jimmy was out cold and the crowd went crazy with excitement.

Security finally reached the stage and grabbed them both, hauling them away. John glanced at Rose before he was yanked off the stage, hoping this wasn't the last he sees of her.

David was a bit faster than the man taking him away, he slipped free and leapt off the stage to escape. He ran to laps through the crowd in a hilarious display before reached Rose, dipping her back, and snogging her thouroghly.

Rose was winded when he was pulled away and he gave her a cheeky smile and giggled.

Jimmy was getting dragged off stage by his bandmates while the next band got ready to play, but Rose wasn't interested in seeing the final band and she slipped out the door.

Both David and John were against a wall, their backs to each other, and their hands bound behind them by zip ties. Another zip tie bound them to a metal bar to keep them from running away. The two security guards stood off to the side calling for the police.

Rose strolled over to them and they both gazed at her, looking very guilty, but both smiling nonetheless. She shook her head dismissively and tsked, "what am I going to do with you two?"

"Miss, are you with these two," one of the guards asked.

"No," Rose said immediately, "I came to tell you another fight just broke out." That was a horrible excuse she thought to herself, but fate was on her side. Another member of security ran out the door and the chaos inside was audible. Together the three ran inside to break up the massive fight.

Rose sighed in relief then stared at the two men who both managed to steal her heart in one night, "now what?"

John pondered for a split second, then his face lit up, "I've got a knife, front pocket."

"Oh," Rose realized she was the only one with free hands, not that she minded and judging by the look her was giving her, neither did he. She stepped closer, the smell of him mixed with the leather was almost intoxicating and the darkness in his eyes made her want to melt into a puddle. Slowly, she reached into his pocket and her hand sunk lower and lower, "how deep are these pockets?"

She reached the bottom, mid-thigh and there was nothing there. She slid her hand across to one side and then to the other side, she spread her fingers and trailed them along his leg, still no knife. John pressed his lips to her ear, "other pocket love."

Pleasure shot through her and she shuddered out a shaky breath. Her eyes snapped up to his and he grinned back smugly.

"Seriously," David squawked, "you're wasting time playing your little game."

John tilted his head back to look at David, "but worth it."

"Both of you be quiet," Rose said sternly. She slipped her hand into the other pocket and found the knife, sliding it out and maybe letting her fingers trail up his other leg a bit in the process, just to be even.

She cut them both loose just as the police were seen arriving in the far distance. She closed the knife and slipped it back into John' pocket, even if he didn't ask her to.

David yanked her hand back and took it in his, "run," he said and the three of them fled before they could be seen.

This was probably the second bad thing Rose Tyler had ever done in her life. She still wasn't sure where this was going but she couldn't wait to find out.


	2. The Next Bad Thing Rose Tyler Did That Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose's night out continues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I meant to update this ages ago. At first it was going to be a one shot, but I decided why not continue just a little more, but I couldn't think of what to write next. Then as I was working on it, my computer broke and I lost most of my progress and had to start over. Then there were other factors, like being a mail carrier during the holidays and working nonstop, then having the Thomas fire sweep through the city I work in making things more chaotic. Well, we're all past that now and I spent my weekend trying to catch up on my writing. This chapter is shorter than anticipated, because I had to start fresh, but I wanted to get at least a little out to you all who have been waiting.

Not only did Rose sneak out that night, dressed in clothes her mum would never approve of, and helped two boys escape security guards before running off with them, now she could add breaking and entering to that list.

She thought John was kidding when he said he could easily pick the lock to the seemingly empty house, but once she watched him do it and he stepped inside, she realized he wasn’t joking.

David let out a long sigh and grumbled, “this is a bad idea,” before following John into the house. He turned back to Rose and noticed her reluctance, then he gazed around the area and pulled on her hand, “come on, before somebody sees you.”

Rose felt her stomach sink as she stepped over the threshold and David shut the door behind her. He then proceeded further into the house while John headed upstairs.

“Do you know whose house this is,” Rose asked in a hushed tone as she followed David into the kitchen.

“Yeah, it’s his sister Donna’s,” he answered, not lowering his voice as Rose did. He hopped onto the counter and grabbed a jar of jam sitting beside him. Instinctively, he popped the lid and dipped his fingers into the gooey substance. He then slipped those same fingers into his mouth, sucking them clean. He was about to go for more when he gazed up and noticed Rose staring at him critically.

Slowly, he secured the lid back on the jar and set it down beside him, where he found it. He swallowed heavily, then looked away to avoid her judging glare.

Rose shook her head of her current thoughts about David’s bad manners and returned to more important matters. “What are we doing here anyway?”

“Just picking up a couple of things,” John said from behind her, causing her to jump in surprise. John smiled at her reaction before tossing a t-shirt at David, “put this on, we won’t be able to go anywhere with you running around shirtless.”

“What about you,” Rose asked, since he wasn’t wearing anything under his leather jacket. Her question was then answered as John shrugged his jacket off and pulled a black jumper over his head, smirking at her as she stared.

“Ha,” David exclaimed, snapping Rose from her inappropriate thoughts while she watched John, “jokes on you, I happen to like Superman.” He stood up proudly and puffed out his chest, bearing the large Superman logo printed on the t-shirt.

“Glad it fits,” he told David condescendingly, “I grew out of that when I was twelve.” He stepped closer to him and sneered as he tugged on the material, “although it’s a little baggy.”

David slapped his hand away and curled his fist as he bumped his chest against John’s, not letting himself be intimidated by his size.

“Hey,” Rose called over, hoping to break the tension, but neither of them backed down. “HEY,” she cried again, finally earning their attention. “I’m not going to spend my entire night out standing in a stranger’s kitchen while trying to keep you two from killing one another.”

With a huff, John rolled his eyes then walked to the other side of the room, crossing his arms, and leaning his back against the wall.

Rose looked over at John then to David. Although she managed to stop a fight before it started, they were still glaring at each other from across the room.

“Ok, then,” she told them cheerfully, hoping to lighten the mood, “where should we go next?”

“I don’t know,” John said with a shrug of his shoulders, “are you hungry?”

“Starving,” Rose answered while rubbing her stomach. She didn’t know how hungry she was until John asked.

“Where,” David asked, “I don’t have any money.”

“Then maybe you should go home now,” John retorted unkindly.

Rose put her hands on her hips, “I don’t have any money either. Should I go home too?”

John’s gave her an innocent smile, “no, I just…”

Rose pressed her index finger to his lips, shutting him up, “if he has to leave then I’m leaving too.”

John slumped back against the wall, frowning.

Rose took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair, then addressed them both, “ok, I know you two don’t get along, you both proved that to me several times tonight, but I don’t want to get caught in the middle of it or be the cause any more problems. So, either you two can put aside your differences for tonight and try to be civil to one another, or I can just leave now and you two can go on fighting.”

John and David stared back at one another as they weighed their options.

“Fine,” David finally groaned unenthusiastically and stepped to the center of the room beside Rose. “Just for tonight,” he emphasized, “I can try to get along, if he does,” he nodded over at John.

“You honestly think we can just forget about everything and pretend to be friends,” John remarked coldly to David.

David rolled back on his heels and spoke casually, “why not? It’s just for one night.”

John’s lips pressed tightly together and his chest rose with every deep breath he took as he thought about it.

David took a few steps toward John and spoke quietly, “we’re doing it for Rose, after all.”

“I don’t share,” John spat back.

“I’m not anyone’s to share,” Rose interjected loudly, then she stomped over to John, stepping between him and David. “You know, when I first met you tonight, I thought you were a decent bloke. Now I see that you are just as thick as the rest of the lot.” She grabbed David’s hand, “if it’s that much of a problem for you, we’ll just leave and you can stay here.” With a tug of David’s hand, she headed toward the door as David shot John a self-satisfied grin.

John leapt forward, knowing he had to act quickly, “wait,” he called, only she didn’t acknowledge him. With long, quick strides, he reached the door as it swung open and he dove before them, blocking their path.

Rose dropped David’s hand and took a step backward, crossing her arms in an annoyed fashion, and glared up at John.

John’s piercing blue eyes met her deep brown ones and all his anger diminished. His shoulders slumped and he ran his hand ran across his scalp before bowing his head. “Don’t leave,” he uttered quietly.

“Well, we bloody well can’t stay here,” Rose snarled back and began tapping her foot impatiently.

“I know,” John answered, and his eyes raised up to hers, sorrowfully. “It’s just that we…” he looked over at David who was staring at him irritably, then back to Rose, “that I…”

John was a closed off person, and he became even more reserved over the years after being betrayed by not only his sister, but also his former best mate who was now watching him disdainfully. Normally he would use his wit and intimidation to get his way, but that was not going to work on Rose. Besides, he concluded, she deserved much better than that.

With a defeated sigh, he peered over at David and spoke kindly enough, “can I have a minute?”

David’s brows drew together and he opened his mouth to protest, but Rose looked back at him and nodded. He closed his mouth and scowled at John, then slowly made his way back to the kitchen. He was out of earshot, but he kept his eyes on them, nonetheless.

“I really want to do this for you,” John spoke softly, “I just don’t see how it could work. David and I have a history, and even though we used to be mates, he betrayed me. I’m not sure I can trust him, and I don’t think you should either.”

“That’s my decision to make,” Rose told him sternly. “So far, between the two of you, he seems to be the only rational one.”

Rose had a point, John realized, although David did antagonize him a few times, he was now showing a bit more responsibility than John by agreeing to behave himself for one night. He even seemed sincere about it. John’s gaze softened in a silent apology and the corner of Rose’s lips twitched in response. He let out a slow breath and raised his head, looking across the room to where David was, and his eyebrows shot up in surprise.

Rose noticed the look of bewilderment that came over John’s face and she turned around to see David now sitting on top of the table, his tongue was peeking out the corner of his mouth, and his fingers were once again deep inside the jar of jam as he painstakingly tried to scrape the remaining bits of it from the bottom.  Rose covered her mouth to stifle a giggle and glanced back at John, relieved to see a smirk upon his face instead of a scowl.

Suddenly, from behind, a woman gasped, “what the…”

Rose spun around to find an older woman who she could only assume was John’s sister and she looked mortified. They must not have heard her enter through the door they had left open.

The woman looked back at Rose, “who are you,” then her sights set on John and she seemed baffled, more than anything, “what?”

It was obvious the woman was juggling a slew of emotions at that and was looking to John for answers, only he didn’t say anything to her. Instead he grabbed Rose’s hand, gave a tug, and told her to run.

“What’s going on,” Donna shouted as the pair rushed past her, not answering any of her questions. She huffed out a breath, wondering what her brother could be up to when she suddenly noticed David sliding off her table while licking his fingers clean.

“Hi Donna,” he told her with a cheeky smile and handed her the empty jar.

“What,” Donna repeated as she watched David run off in the same direction as John and Rose.

Donna was completely flabbergasted as she tried to rack her brain around what just happened. Who was the girl and why was John with David, of all people? She looked down at the now empty jar of jam in her hand and scowled, “oh, honestly…”

As David caught up to John and Rose, all they could hear was Donna yelling out in frustration, “John!!!”


End file.
